Annual Report of Philanthropy
Dear Alumni and Friends,
When we launched the $125 million Campaign for Boalt Hall in 2005, it raised more than a few eyebrows. Our target, after all, was 10 times larger than the law school’s previous record campaign. But given our remarkable community of alumni and friends, and the great possibilities we could see for the school, it seemed to me that a bit of audacity was appropriate.
Sure enough, the many alumni who hold Boalt close to their hearts, and friends who value our mission, have lifted our law school to unprecedented heights. Over the past century our physical complex has never looked better, and the far-reaching research, scholarship, and policy work done here are flat-out astounding—it never fails to impress when I rattle off a list of examples. I am deeply grateful to the donors who have helped us to soar.
With $14.1 million in contributions during the fiscal year ended June 30—more than 34 percent higher than the year before—we are able to strengthen several core areas that make us the planet’s best public law school: financial aid, faculty recruitment and retention, our research centers and “live-client” clinics, and our professional skills programs.
This year, we hope to have a strong finish. As we watch the ball drop on Boalt’s first century, the Campaign for Boalt Hall’s finish line is also in our sights, less than $17 million away. And what a Centennial year it’s been.
We added two new research centers to our stable of action-oriented think tanks designed to be a two-way bridge between the world of ideas and the world of complex private sector and public sector problems: The California Constitution Center and the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice. We extended our global reach through broadened curricular and field placement opportunities, partnerships with prominent universities abroad, and expansion of our Professional LL.M. program serving lawyers from 40 countries during the summer. We revised our Loan Repayment Assistance Program to protect participants from negative amortization risks should they leave public interest work before qualifying for full loan forgiveness, which generally takes 10 years of such employment. And we bolstered what were already top national programs in intellectual property, environmental, business, and international law.
Naïve we are not. Continued cuts to our state funding are an ongoing challenge: the average 2012 Boalt graduate owes more than $112,000 in student loans (plus undergraduate debt), and tuition will continue to be over $50,000 for both out-of-state and California residents. But I can’t find the superlatives to describe how exciting our students are and the excellence of the faculty who lead them in discovering the law. I am fully confident about our future, and we will work hard to convince the past generations who have benefited from this institution to invest in a future of excellence for students and faculty to come.
As we labor in this homestretch of the Campaign for Boalt Hall, I once again extend my deepest thanks for all you’ve done to get us this far—and for the inspiration and resources you provide to help us fulfill our mission. It is an honor to be your Dean at this time of challenge, accomplishment, and celebration.
Christopher Edley, Jr.
The Honorable William H. Orrick, Jr. Distinguished Professor and Dean
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The annual report is packed full of charts and graphics to help you understand the school's fiscal health and the breadth of our programs. Download a PDF of the report.
